


Studies

by WhoTheBuckIsStucky



Category: NCT (Band), SuperM (Korea Band)
Genre: (i can also write any other gender for reader insert), (so just lmk if you want one! I started w girls bc... i am girl hehe), Alternate Universe - College/University, Crack? Ish?, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff, Reader-Insert, fem!reader - Freeform, it's silly + light idk have fun !, like only kind of lol, mark and reader are bffs (bc isn't that what every czennie dreams of?), uses she/her pronouns, wingman mark lol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-14
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:02:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,386
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24189343
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WhoTheBuckIsStucky/pseuds/WhoTheBuckIsStucky
Summary: When the reader has an encounter with Lucas in the parking lot, it's far from a meet-cute. And yet... she can't stay mad at him for long, especially not when Mark is pulling the strings.
Relationships: Wong Yuk Hei | Lucas/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 36





	1. unofficial-official assigned spots & spilled drinks

**Author's Note:**

> special thanks to a few of my friends for beta-reading this, over and over, helping me edit and answering all my anxious questions. I'd be nothing without them!

You tap your thumbs against the steering wheel, waiting for the light to change. Some happy tune plays over your car speakers, and you nod to the beat. The sun is out for the first time in a while, the overcast of autumn having become the new normal. You're on your way to pick up your best friend, Mark, from his work as a host at a restaurant near your university. You're going to go out for dinner and then come back to your room for drinks, and maybe a movie. You've finished all your homework, and you just got an essay back--96 percent. 

So, it's a good day. You turn into the parking lot and see a spot really close to the door--perfect, now Mark won't even have to call you while staring  _ directly _ at your windshield a few rows away, asking where you were parked. As you pull in, another car squeals into the lot. Surprisingly, the driver blows past the many spots closer to the entrance and jerks to a stop a few yards from your bumper.

"Hey!" You see it's a guy now, around your age. He pokes his head out of his window. He's got tanned skin, big ears, and big, bright eyes. "Do you work here? This is the employee lot."

"No, but--"

"Then can you park somewhere else? My shift starts soon and it ends really late, so I don't want to have to walk really far to my car in the dark after I clock out."

Even though his request is pretty reasonable, it kind of pisses you off. In fairness, you got here first. In the time he took to ask you about this, he could've parked, clocked in, and then waited until his break or something to come move his car.

"I'm here to pick up my friend. He says he just clocked out. He'll only be a minute, and then we'll be out of your way." You put your car in park and open the door so you don't have to crane your neck around to talk. "Or you could, you know, just park somewhere else and move it later."

"Okay, but also that's, like,  _ my _ parking space." 

You glance around quickly, but there aren't any signs up, and you definitely don't remember seeing anything painted onto the spot itself. Besides, why would a kid your age have his own parking spot?  _ He’s probably one of those guys that likes to go on power trips and boss people around. _ "Uh, the hell it is, there's nothing here that says that. No sign or anything." You gesture to the bare curb in front of your car.

"Okay, but you know how in class, sometimes you'll have like an unofficial-official assigned seat?" He gives you a pleading look, his eyes becoming puppy-dog-like. "It's like that. I always park there. C'mon, dude, I just need to go clock in."

"I'm already parked here though." Out of the corner of your eye, you see Mark emerge from the employee entrance. "And, wow, my friend’s here now, so today's your lucky day. Mark, get in the car." You turn back around, slamming your door shut and starting the engine, rolling down your window and throwing your car into reverse. "There, have your stupid parking spot, asshat," you call out the window to the boy as you pull away.

Mark is laughing as you huff in annoyance, rolling your windows back up. "You know Lucas?" he asks, clicking his seatbelt in. 

"Who's Lucas?"

"Uh, the guy you were in a shouting match with in the parking lot, like, thirty seconds ago?"

Keeping your eyes on the road as you turn out of the parking lot and onto the main street, you say, "Oh, you mean his name isn't Jackass?"

"Sick burn," Mark says sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "No, man, Lucas is really cool. He’s a waiter here. He just comes off as aggressive sometimes 'cuz he's loud. Plus, he was probably pretty worried about running late."

"Yeah, well," you say, settling back into your seat. "He had so many other options that weren't yelling at me, a stranger, for doing nothing wrong." You brush a stray hair out of your face, and turn to Mark. "Anyway, what do you want to do for dinner?"

__________________

__________________

It's a few days later, and you and Mark are getting ready for a party. "C'mon, y/n, finish your drink!" Mark says, struggling into his shoes. "Johnny says he's there, and it's already pretty full. I don't want to have to wait outside if they reach capacity."

"Give me a second!" You finish swiping lip gloss onto your bottom lip, and turn away from the mirror to chug the rest of your Mike's. "How do I look?"

"Great, now come  _ on _ ," Mark says quickly, placing your shoes in front of you. "Let's go."

You let him drag you out of your room and down the hall to the stairs. "Careful!" you call as he thunders down the stairs, laughing, tripping over his own feet and almost falling. "You're drunk, you're gonna hurt yourself!"

Mark just gives a shout of laughter in response. "Hurry up!"

You stumble to the bottom of the stairs and follow him out the door of your dorm and over to the street lined with frat houses. Johnny's leaning out a window on the second story of one of the houses.

" _ There _ you are!" he shouts, waving. You can hear the bass from across the street. "Hey, Jae, let ‘em in!"

A boy you don't know grins and waves, and steps aside to let you and Mark past. The deafening sound of music and the overwhelming smell of alcohol hits you in an almost staggering wave. Johnny is hopping down the stairs to your left. "Hey, guys. Drinks upstairs. How are you?"

"Good," Mark says as you follow him up, everyone jostling everyone on the way. It's crowded and you're glad for Johnny's height because it makes him easy to follow in a crowd. "This is crazy!"

"Almost everyone had an exam this week," Johnny says, shrugging. "So we're self-medicating. Terribly unhealthy." He flashes you both a grin, and produces two cups of jungle juice. "Here."

"Thanks," you say, taking one. "What is it?"

"Every kind of fruit juice we could find and a lot of different kinds of vodka, I dunno," he replied. "Hey, I gotta go, have fun!" And just like that, he's lost in the throng of people.

Mark raises his eyebrows, takes a cautious drink, and then shrugs. "Well, I'm gonna go play pong. You want in?"

"No, thanks," you say, laughing. "I'd be more likely to land the ball in someone's eye socket than in one of those cups, sober. And," you add, grabbing Mark's shoulder to stabilize yourself when someone bumps into you. "I'm not sober."

"Alright. See you in a few." And then he's gone too, leaving you alone in a room full of strangers.

You don't really mind, though. You see a sign that says "ROOF - up two floors", so you head for the stairs, careful not to spill your drink on yourself or passersby. It's nice out, if a little chilly, and there are fewer people up here. You finish your drink, chatting with a couple of students you recognize from one of your classes, and then decide to head back in for a second helping.

You've just gotten the newly-full cup back from one of the frat guys tending their makeshift bar, and are about to head up the stairs when someone rams into you from the side.

Your drink goes everywhere, including all down your front. "Shit!"

"Fuck!" the guy who bumped into you says at the same time. "I'm so sorry, here, let me--" He-takes the now-empty cup from your hands and presses some napkins to your stomach, where the sweet drink is quickly soaking through your top. His fingers are adorned with pretty silver rings, and his hands look... nice. You raise your head, and come eye to eye with--

"Lucas?"  You immediately step back; the napkins fall to the floor. "Seriously, you?"

"O-oh, Scary Parking Lot Girl!" He looks back at you, wide-eyed.

"Oh my god." You assess the damage--the cup was nearly full, so your entire torso is soaked, and you feel gross and sticky. A wind blows in through a nearby open window, and you shiver. "Couldn't you have looked where you were going?" you accuse.

"I'm sorry,  _ really _ , I am," Lucas says. "To be fair, you weren't looking, either."

It's absolutely not what you need right now. "Hey, this isn't on me!" He grabs a couple more napkins, nodding, and takes a step toward you, but you hold out your hand to stop him. “I don’t want your fucking help.” You brush past him, down the hall to the bathroom, trying to fix the damage. It's no use, though, and you sigh in defeat, meeting your own eyes in the mirror.

"Hey." A girl comes out of one of the stalls. "You okay?"

You give her a weak smile. "Yeah, just... bumped into a jerk and spilled my drink. That's all."

She pouts. "I'm sorry. My boyfriend lives here, I can get him to lend you a shirt if you'd like."

"That's so sweet of you," you say, laughing. "But no, it's okay. I live not too far from here. I can go home and change."

"All right," she says. "Don't be sad. You're  _ sooo _ pretty." She twirls a strand of your hair around her finger and then lets you go, giving you a kind, if a little unsteady, smile.

You smile back and shake your head, thanking her and heading out into the hall.  _ Angelic drunk girls you meet in bathrooms are, like, the only thing that keeps the world turning, _ you think to yourself as you head back down the stairs. 

"Hey, Mark." You spot him on your way to the door.

"Hey--Jesus, what happened to you?"

You give him a wry smile. "Lucas, of all people, ran into me and made me spill my drink. I'm gonna head back to change."

"Damn, you guys just keep ruining each other's lives, huh?" 

You don't appreciate the look Mark is giving you, so you ignore it. "Yeah, tell me about it. Anyway, I'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, okay!"

_ Stupid Lucas, _ you think, hugging yourself as you step out into the cold.  _ Stupid Lucas, and his stupid puppy eyes, and stupid rings... _

__________________

__________________

You're running late to picking Mark up from work today. "Please let today be Lucas's day off," you pray to no one in particular as you gun it through a yellow light. 

You pull into the parking lot and up to the spot you two had fought over the week before. Lucas's car is already there, and upon closer inspection you see a little sign wedged into the grass just beyond the curb. You squint.

**RESERVED FOR LUCAS WONG ONLY**

**YOU WILL BE TOWED, AND**

**IF YOU'RE MARK LEE'S MEAN FRIEND,**

**YOU'RE GETTING FINED, TOO.**

**QUERIES: 555-555-5555**

You can't help it; you throw your head back and laugh, openmouthed. "That piece of shit!" You don't notice Mark walking up to your car. He turns to look at what you're laughing at, and, cackling too, runs back inside. 

A few moments pass, and he comes dashing back out, still laughing, and hops in the passenger seat.

"Where did you go?" you ask warily, backing out of the lot. 

Mark is  _ giggling _ , and your suspicion mounts. "I told Lucas he's gonna have to do better than that if he wants your number."

You slam on the brakes, almost launching Mark out of his seat. " _ What? _ " You start fishing through your backseat. "Did he kill you for it?"

"No," Mark says blithely. "Just whipped me with his dishtowel."

"Oh, good," you reply, producing a copy of a book on Greek mythology from the back, and  _ thwack _ Mark on the head with it. "I don't fucking want his number, and he's sure as hell not getting mine." You give him another sound smack for good measure.

"Yeah, okay." Mark fends off your attacks. "Drive us home first, you can beat me up over dinner."

"I'll hold you to that." You release the brake and hope Mark doesn't notice how badly your ears are burning.

But judging by his continued laughter, he does.


	2. homework help & candy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> mark decides to play matchmaker

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM VERY SORRY i was like eh i'll edit it soon! ... it's been almost 2 months. anyway at long last.... here we are. feel free to spritz me in the face like you would a cat that's just tried to knock a dish off the table i deserve it

The overpowering smell of coffee and pastries fills your nose as you pull open the door to the cafe. You and Mark like to come study here often--so often that the baristas know you. One of them waves at you as you walk past, and you grin and wave back.

"I'll come order in a second," you say, scanning the room for Mark. Finally, you find him, but he's not at your usual little table in the corner, and moreover, he's not alone.

"Hey, y/n!" Mark gives you a cheerful greeting.

"Why's he here?" you ask, flicking your eyes to Lucas before turning back to Mark.

"Be nice," Mark says. "I invited him. I want you guys to be friends."

_ Christ _ , you think. But then Lucas looks up at you. "Please, sit," he says, quieter than you've ever heard him, and you find yourself dropping into the seat across from him. "I feel like we may have gotten off on the wrong foot."

You snort. "Yeah, maybe," you concede, with a sigh. "Mark tells me you're really cool."

"Yeah, and he tells me you're actually really nice," Lucas says. "Listen, I'm sorry I yelled at you that day in the parking lot. I could've just parked somewhere else."

You laugh, and nod. "Yes, and I'm sorry I snapped at you at that party. It wasn't really your fault. I was just cold, and gross, and surprised that it was you."

"So, truce?" He extends a hand and you accept it, trying very hard not to think about how your hand is almost swallowed by his. A bright smile lights up his face, his eyes becoming crescents. "Ugh, great. Mark tells me you guys come here a lot to study?"

"Yeah," you say, pulling out your laptop and a notebook. "The coffee is good, and it's close to campus." You look up. "What's your major?"

"Undecided, right now," Lucas says, shrugging. "I'm gonna be doing something with music and performance, though."

"Oh, like Mark? Are you guys in class together?"

"No," Mark says. "Not yet. It's only a matter of time, though."

"What about you, y/n?" Lucas asks.

"I'm thinking of something with writing," you say. "Maybe journalism. Not really sure."

"So we're all artists!" he exclaims, grinning. "I love that."

"Lucas is also on the club basketball team," Mark adds. "And y/n's really good at school, not just writing."

"I'm not, like, good at school. I'm just better than  _ you _ ," you quip, adding for Lucas’s benefit, "which I'm pretty sure is the only reason Mark became my friend in the first place, so he could get homework help."

"Can I get homework help?" Lucas asks, drowning out Mark's well-meaning protests and giving you his puppy-eyed look again. 

"Hm." You pretend to think about it. "I guess, if you pay for my coffee."

That big, doofy grin spreads across his face once more. "No problem."

__________________

__________________

One coffee turns into three, turns into many, many weeks' worth of coffee. And you don't mind, because aside from the free caffeine, Lucas is good company. Sometimes Mark joins you guys, and other times he doesn't.

"Dude, stop stealing my best friend from me," Mark accuses good-naturedly.

"You're always welcome to join us," Lucas points out.

"You  _ know _ I'm usually working, you dick."

One day, you get a text from Lucas saying he's near your dorm, and if he cooks you dinner will you help him study for a calc test?

**Not really sure I should trust you in a kitchen, or around open flames in general, but okay,** you send back, shaking your head.

You spend a good couple hours helping him review, and when he's finally satisfied, you let him go cook. Though he doesn't burn down the entire goddamn building, he does manage to fail miserably at instant ramen, so he orders you both takeout instead, and you spend the rest of the night laughing and watching tv together. After that, it becomes pretty normal for you two to hang out in each other's rooms, sometimes studying, sometimes with Mark, too. 

Whenever you're with him, you feel warm, now. You two often joke over how angry you were at each other the week after you first met.  _ It seems so far away now _ , you think, laughing as you watch Mark tackle Lucas for throwing popcorn in his face. Lucas fights him off and looks up at you with that smile of his, cheeks and eyes shining. You're suddenly very aware of your heartbeat, and you stumble through a returning grin.

Soon, it's late autumn, and you and Lucas are studying quietly in your room. You're reading a book for class, soothed by the sound of the rain lashing against your window.

"Here, y/n, think fast!" You glance up just in time to see a candy flying in your direction. To your surprise, you catch it with ease.

"Thanks," you say, trying to be nonchalant, unwrapping it and popping it in your mouth before turning back to your reading, tucking a leg up so that your heel is resting on the seat of your chair, and your chin is resting on your knee.

You hear Lucas chuckle, kind of softly, behind you. You're both quiet for a moment, and then he sighs, very dramatically, and tosses some papers or a notebook or something aside, and says, "Y/n, let's go out."

You glance out the window, where rain is still pouring down in sheets in the fading light. "Uh, it's raining," you point out. "Besides, I'm too busy right now with this mountain of homework, and quite frankly, so are you. So, no."

He goes silent, apparently properly chastised, and you go back to studying. The rest of the evening passes quietly, with Lucas only breaking the silence to pass you another candy or to ask you how to spell something.

When the rain lets up a little, Lucas gets up, packing up his things and shrugging on his coat. He's subdued, somehow, so you ask, "Hey, are you okay?" and he just nods, and gives you that big, wide smile. Somehow, though, it doesn't quite reach his eyes. Nonplussed, but not sure what else to do about it, you push the worry out of your mind. "Okay, well, get home safe. Don't stay out in the rain too long. You'll catch a cold."

"Yes, ma'am!" He salutes you, and the door closes rather sharply behind him.

You putter around your room, cleaning up stray candy wrappers and getting ready for bed. You can't help but wonder what was up. If he was stressed about work, wouldn't he have just asked for your help? Eventually, there's no more cleaning to do, and you know fretting about it will do you no good.  _ If it's important, he'll bring it up eventually. _ You're about to turn in for the night when your phone lights up with a text from Mark.

**> >hey, why does Lucas think you hate him???**

**> >he said you turned him down really coldly today.**

You blink, confused.  **uh..... what the hell are you talking about?** you type back.

Your phone buzzes less than ten seconds later. 

**> >he asked u out?**

**> >he said he confessed to you and you said no bc you're both busy**

**> >and something about the rain(?) that he didn't catch**

You stare at your phone for a minute, quickly running back through your memory, and then you  _ smack _ your phone to your forehead, because  _ of course! _ You just didn't realize--

You notice you've accidentally sent a rather ugly keysmash.

**< <b?xvq&1`**

**< <OH MY GOD**

**< <is that what he calls CONFESSING**

**< <he threw his homework aside and said "hey lets go out"**

**< <so I thought he meant like**

**< <OUTSIDE**

**< <bc he was sick of STUDYING**

Your phone starts ringing, and you roll your eyes and pick up.

Mark is laughing hysterically on the other end. It takes a couple minutes before he calms down enough to say anything coherent. You stare at the wall, deadpan and impatient. 

"Sorry," he finally chokes out. "It's just so fucking funny. To be fair, it is kinda his fault. But... Dude, you gotta call him  _ right now _ before he breaks his own heart any worse."

"Hey, who said I was gonna say yes?" you ask.

"Oh, come on." Mark sounds exasperated. "You two have been running circles around each other since the day you met. Besides," he adds before you can object, "even if you haven't, I know for sure you've gotten more interested in him recently. You guys have been spending so much time together. And you're always talking about him."

"Jealous?" you challenge, and he just scoffs.

"Luckily for all of us, my self-esteem is way too high for that kind of behavior," he says. "Now seriously. Call him."

"What if he hates me now?" you protest, suddenly very anxious. 

"I swear to you he doesn't. Just call him! Right now! I'm hanging up! You better do it! Bye!"

"Mark, wait--" But he's already gone. Sighing, you turn your phone over in your hands. A little thrill goes through you, and you giggle to yourself, the ridiculousness of the situation hitting you again. "Lucas, you idiot," you murmur fondly, navigating to his contact and pressing dial.

"Y/n?" He sounds kind of small and sad when he picks up, and you can't help but feel bad for him.

That being said, the feeling absolutely does not eclipse your need to make fun of him. "This is all your fault. You know that, right?" you start. "How was I supposed to know what you meant? I thought you meant, 'I'm Lucas and, like always, I'm sick of studying. Y/n, won't you come with me to procrastinate by doing god-knows-what?'" 

To your relief, he chuckles. "Yeah, I guess that does sound like me," he admits. "Sorry. I just--you caught the candy so perfectly, even though I gave you no warning, and then you just--curled back up in your chair with your book, and it was so sweet, and so  _ you _ . And I was just like. Fuck it. I don't know. I guess I haven't just been studying  _ with _ you. I've made a habit of just... studying you."

You smile at the confession, at the idea that he knew your habits, and even better, found them endearing. 

He's still talking, though. "--don't want to, you know? I'm happy to just stay friends, too."

"Lucas," you interrupt. "I  _ do _ want to."

"I mean-- wait, what?"

You suppress laughter. "I'm saying yes, dumbass. Let's go on a date tomorrow. I mean it."

"W--really?" The tension leaves his voice, and you can hear his smile. "Okay, uh, where? When?"

"We can go out for coffee," you suggest.

"No, that's not special! I'll think of something." Suddenly his tone grows serious. "Now go to bed! It's late."

"All right," you agree. "You too, ok? See you after class."

________________

________________

He ends up greeting you with a bag of the candies he'd been giving you the night before, and two movie tickets. They're for a new Marvel movie, and you laugh when he shuffles his feet.

"I wasn't sure which ones to buy," he says. "But I thought I remembered you saying you liked the Avengers, so--"

"I do, I do," you reassure him, linking your arm through his. "Now c'mon, I don't wanna miss the previews!"

You stroll to the theater together, arm in arm. He gets popcorn and you settle into your seats--right in the middle, about halfway up, happily agreeing that they're the best ones. You chat quietly through the previews, making fun the movies that look stupid, and pointing out the ones you want to see. 

Once the movie starts, you become intensely aware of your hands. Your left hand rests just inches from his right, but suddenly you're paralyzed. He must notice or something, though, because after a few minutes he links your hands decisively and gives you a shy smile. It's silly and a little awkward, and you can't help but shoot him a grin in response. You spend the rest of the movie with your fingers interlocked, your head knocking lightly against his shoulder when you giggle about what's happening on screen.

After, you get sushi for dinner (he suggested it with a laugh, because it sounds like his Chinese name), and you spend the time pointing out every single plot hole in the movie. Lucas just shakes his head, saying, "It's a superhero movie, Y/N. It's not that deep."

"No, it's not," you agree, chasing an elusive piece of sashimi around your plate with your chopsticks. "But I'm just saying, some plot continuity or like, good writing would be nice for once."

Though he paid for the tickets and the snacks, he insists on paying for dinner too, and when that's all settled, he walks you back to your dorm.

You linger outside your door for a moment, as he insists he shouldn't come in because then he'll never leave.

"So... did I pass?" he asks.

"Pass?"

"Tonight. Do I get a second date?" 

"Yes, dummy," you say. "Really. I had fun."

"Oh, good." He smiles, big and happy as always, and almost moves to leave, but hesitates. There's an awkward breath between you, but then he leans in and presses a swift, chaste kiss to your lips, cupping your cheek briefly with one of his pretty, pretty hands. "Sleep well, then. I'll see you tomorrow."

You wave, too breathless to reply verbally right away. "Get home safe!" you finally call after him, blushing furiously, and ducking into your room, slumping against your door once it clicks shut.

And you smile, lips tingling from the kiss and cheeks burning from your racing thoughts. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank u for reading! I will try my best to get part three out in a more timely manner (me: is the worst). in the meantime pls feel free to peruse my other works! I should be posting another reader-insert soon involving a different tall & handsome member of nct (hehe) so pls keep an eye out for that.
> 
> you can find me on tumblr [here](https://kjmsupremacist.tumblr.com/about), and that page also has a link to my buy me a coffee if u feel like sending a few dollars my way (no pressure ofc!!). if u like my writing style and have a specific request, you can let me know either in my askbox there (anon is always on!) or in the comments here!


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